History of the Hall

Carnegie Hall Archives

The Carnegie Hall Archives preserves thousands of concert programs, posters and fliers, musical manuscripts and autographs, administrative files, and architectural drawings that tell the story of the musicians, politicians, and world figures that have appeared in nearly 50,000 events since 1891.

From the Carnegie Hall Archives

Mission

The Carnegie Hall Archives has a deep commitment to ensuring the safety, security, and endurance of materials in its collections. The Archives’ mission is to acquire, preserve, and make publicly accessible documents and materials—physical and digital—related to the origins, history, activities, growth, and development of Carnegie Hall. This mission is accomplished by the conservation and preservation of objects in its care, by supporting research and scholarly use of the collections, and by presenting exhibitions within the Rose Museum.

Collections and Acquisitions Policy

In accordance with its mission, the Carnegie Hall Archives actively seeks to identify, acquire, preserve, and make available material that is of enduring informational value and historical significance to Carnegie Hall.

The Archives serves as the official and permanent repository of historical and inactive records of The Carnegie Hall Corporation. These records include, but are not limited to correspondence, memos, minutes, financial records, contracts, reports, photographs, publications, programs, posters, audiovisual recordings, architectural drawings, and subject files; as well as documents relating to administrative bodies previously associated with it, including Carnegie Hall Incorporated and the Music Hall Company of New York, Limited.

Access Policy

The collections of the Carnegie Hall Archives are open for research by appointment to all members of the Carnegie Hall staff and to the general public. The collections do not circulate and, at present, all research must be done on-site under the supervision of the Archives staff. The Carnegie Hall Archives has an ethical obligation to ensure the preservation of these collections, to guarantee the privacy of donors, and to protect items of a legally sensitive or confidential nature; in some cases, sensitive materials are restricted.

If you would like to access Carnegie Hall Archives’ collections or have questions about its holdings, please contact archives@carnegiehall.org.